The life of a ring laser gyro (RLG) is always an issue in the area of ring laser gyros and the importance of a long life is well known. Many current processes attempt to prolong the life of a ring laser gyro by the use of gases in the production period of a ring laser gyro. One use of gases to assist in the processing of the ring laser gyro block is the use of oxygen. Oxygen is entered into the ring laser gyro block. By running a discharge current inside the cathode of a ring laser gyro, oxidation will occur creating an oxygen implantation process inside the cathode. The oxidation of the cathode will prolong the life of the cathode and in turn increase the life of the ring laser gyro.
However, creating all these steps in conditioning different parts of the ring laser gyro to prolong its life is cumbersome and time consuming. It would be beneficial to provide a process that conditions all of the parts of the ring laser gyro at the same time to reduce in capital requirements and process cycle time.
The invention has been described herein in order to comply with the Patent Statutes and to provide those skilled in the art with the information needed to apply the novel principles and to construct and use such specialized components as are required. However, it is to be understood that the invention can be carried out by specifically different methods, components and materials, and that various modifications, both as to the process details and materials, can be accomplished without departing from the scope of the invention itself.